A 10,000 Won Bill from 50 Years Ago Received from a Customer... Bank vs. Secondhand Dealer's Choice?

The Story Behind Receiving the '10,000 Won Note' Issued in 1973
Exchangeable for Current Currency at Financial Institutions
However, Trades in Secondary Markets Fetch High Prices

The story of a restaurant owner who received old currency from the 1970s from a customer is becoming a hot topic.

An old 10,000 won bill issued in 1973, reportedly received by a self-employed person from a customer. [Image source=Online community capture]

On the 6th, a post titled "The money a customer paid" was uploaded to the self-employed community 'Apeunikka Sajangida' (Because It Hurts, I'm a Boss). A restaurant owner, Mr. A, shared a photo of an old 10,000 won bill that a customer had paid with and asked, "Can I exchange this at the bank?" The bill in the photo was old but relatively well-preserved.

The bill in the photo is the old 10,000 won note called the 'Ga 10,000 won note,' which the Bank of Korea began issuing on June 12, 1973. As the economy grew and national income increased, there was a need to issue high-denomination bills, leading to its creation. The front features a portrait of King Sejong the Great, and the back depicts Gyeongbokgung Palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall. It is larger in size (171mm wide, 81mm tall) than the currently circulating 'Ba 10,000 won note' (148mm wide, 68mm tall). This bill ceased issuance on November 10, 1981, after a new bill was introduced in 1979. Unlike the current 10,000 won note, where King Sejong's portrait is on the right, the old note has the portrait on the left.

Netizens who saw this reacted with comments such as, "You could get a much higher price even through secondhand trading," "Maybe it was accidentally paid while keeping it," "The owner might be looking for it by now," and "Since it's rare, it would be good to keep it." This bill can be exchanged for the same amount in current currency at the Bank of Korea and other financial institutions.

However, since it is a rare bill that is no longer issued, this 10,000 won note is traded at high prices on secondhand trading sites. Depending on the degree of damage, recently well-preserved bills have been listed for sale at prices in the 200,000 won range. In June of last year, one was traded for 140,000 won on a secondhand trading site.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.